Volume 107 Issue 6 April 2022 1 0 0 S e l m a Av e . w g e c h o . o r g
Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Jackson Parks PRINT EDITOR: Ava Musgraves JUNIOR EDITOR: Lydia Urice VIDEO EDITOR: Calum Shank SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER/ GRAPHICS EDITOR: Zeke La Mantia NEWS/ OPINION EDITOR: Emily Goben SPORTS EDITOR: Owen Crews PODCAST EDITOR: Maren DeMargel BUSINESS MANAGER: Izzy Poole PUBLIC RELATIONS Calvin Lescher ADVISOR: Donald Johnson SOME MATERIAL FROM TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
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Students reflect on new mask mandate ‘Ins and Outs’ Letter to the Editor Response from Editor-in-Chief Spanish students travel to Costa Rica Students self-express through art, fashion Cast shares preparation for ‘Harvey’ Teenagers appreciate past trends Students notice lack of support in women’s sports Statemen win 2022 Show-Me Showdown WGHS women’s basketball takes third Chelsea Center Letter to the Editor Alumni teachers discuss how WGHS has changed The search for the ‘perfect’ prom dress, two years later Baseball team kicks off spring season Students, staff reflect on three day event Review: Charli XCX CRASHES charts with new album Head football coach position open once again Willie’s Comic Tennis team supports community
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Read about students and teachers experience traveling to Costa Rica on Page 5. Photo by Amy Rowland
The Echo is a monthly publication of the newspaper staff of Webster Groves High School, 100 Selma Ave., Webster Groves, MO. To contact staff members, call 314-963-6400 ex. 11157 or write to wgecho@wgmail.org. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of a majority of staff members; signed articles are the opinion of the writer. Letters to the editor of 300 words or less are welcome; submit letters by the 10th of the month to wgecho@wgmail.org, or room 155. All letters must be signed, although the name may be withheld from publication if requested. The Echo has the right to edit letters for publication as long as intent remains unchanged. The Echo is a member of SSP, Quill and Scroll, MJEA, JEA, MIPA-MJEA, NSPA and CSPA.
Cover Cutline: Collage of vintage Echo logos. Cover art by Ava Musgraves
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Read about how current students express themselves through art on Page 6 and 7. Photo by Harper Kehl
Read about current students’ opinions about support for women’s sports on Page 10
Read about current staff opinion about how WGHS has changed on Page 14. Photo by Madeline Craig
Table of Contents | Early April 2022
Students reflect on new mask policy
Art by Anna Barr
Podcast Editor am going to [wear a mask] because I do not want to get sick, and I don’t want my mom getting sick,” Norton said. Maren DeMargel Senior Ben Pires had a unique answer to the masking question.
Junior Editor Lydia Urice
“I’m not [wearing a mask] because I don’t really have a good Mask regulations officially changed from “required” to “rec- reason. I just don’t want to. I will wear it in certain classes ommended” on March 7. Students had differing opinions on this though. One of my teachers just got done with chemo, so I’ll subject, specifically regarding whether or not they will continue wear it in that class,” Pires said. Senior Gavin Erutti plans to base his decision on the current to wear a mask. s o c i a l Junior Lily Petersen stated she norm. would continue to wear her face It ’s important not to judge either way. I’ll “I would covering. that “I just feel more comfortable probably continue to wear it, - Tristan Archer say over time, doing it, and I feel like I can’t control what other people do, but I can control what I want to do the norm is to not wear a mask. Then at that point I’ll feel the need to not wear a mask. It’s just this idea that not wearing a mask so I’m just going to keep it on,” Petersen said. Junior Gillian O’Neil offered a similar explanation as to why is the outlier, but socially, if wearing the masks is the outlier, and everything’s safe, then it seems okay to do that, then I’d probably she will continue to wear her mask. “I feel more safe for myself, and I’m protecting others around be more confident, but for now, I think so [keep it on],” Erutti said about whether me,” O’Neil said. I just prefer not wearing a mask , but I won’t be bothered he would continue to wear a Junior Lukas Hilstrom, if other people do. It ’s a personal thing, - Jake Koelling mask. S e n i o r foreign exchange student, had a differing opinion from that of his class- Tristan Archer had a similar statement to that of Erutti. “I don’t mates. “I’m like for it [no masks] because I’m from Sweden, and wanna be the outlier, right? If everyone’s wearing a mask, and we never wore masks there. We’re probably never gonna wear I’m not, I don’t want that. For my own personal family life, I’d masks there. It’s encroaching on freedom or something; I actu- choose to wear it because my grandma lives with us. It’s important not to judge either way. I’ll probably continue to wear it,” ally have no idea,” Hilstrom said. Senior Blaine Agles, who plans to take off his mask after Archer said. Senior Jake Koelling agreed with the theme of non-judgement. the mandate is changed, said, “I am young enough and healthy enough to not be severely impacted by COVID.” Agles also “No, I do not [plan to wear a mask.] I just prefer not wearing a mentioned that his family members who could be impacted by mask, but I won’t be bothered if other people do. It’s a personal thing,” Koelling said. COVID are all fully vaccinated. Junior Emma Norton plans to continue wearing her mask. “I
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Letter to the Editor:
Student responds to ‘Ins and Outs’ article From what I’ve heard, this article has already been complained about several times, but as someone who this article affects, I felt as though it was important to share my thoughts. The whole Brandy Melville take was just a bad take, but also inherently hurtful. Maybe it wasn’t intentional, but it was. I am considered to be on the edge of midsize and plus size as a size 14, but I have been affected by fatphobia in my life. After browsing the website for about 20 minutes, I failed to find a single size larger than a small. It’s one size fits all is so inherently toxic, and for the school paper to put out a statement saying, and I quote, “Their clothes are so comfortable, not too expensive and the sizing is marketed to all”. just because the advertising is “one size fits all,” doesn’t mean it does. I generally wear a size large to XL or maybe even an XXL and to hear people from my school put in words that a brand
like this is meant for “all,” but knowing for myself that I wouldn’t fit into that category, makes me an outcast. As a bigger person, walking around the halls and seeing that the average person here is smaller than me is already hard enough, not that its anyone’s fault that others are skinny, but to then have it thrown into bigger people’s faces as calling it the inherent normal is hurtful to those bigger than the average person. Not every person needs to be included in every brand as it is not a brand’s responsibility to cater to plus size people. However, to call it a “one size fits all” and “size-inclusive,” means that it automatically excludes anyone who doesn’t fit into that box. Even the brand in itself is hurtful to bigger women and POC shown in this quote from the New York Post: Former Senior Vice President Luca Rotondo said she was told by Marsan (CEO of Brandy Melville) to hire only girls who
fit his specifications. “If she was black, if she was fat…he didn’t want them in the store,” Rotondo told Insider. Insider also reported multiple women were fired for their physical appearance and race. Even as a midsize/plus-size person, I’ve dealt with my fair share of fatphobia, but if this article is hurtful to even a girl like me, I cannot believe how the girls bigger than me would feel right now. This article was a huge display of skinny privilege and ignorance of which it exists. With how bad of a take this was, and how terrible it made me as a bigger woman, and how it must make other bigger women feel, I feel as though a formal apology written by Ava Musgraves and Jackson Parks admitting to their wrongdoings and showing that they learned from their mistakes should be published in the next Echo paper..
– Reagan Indiero
Response from the Editor-in-Chief: Editor-in-Chief Jackson Parks I appreciate the concern and the maturity in the letter. It was never mine or Ava’s intention to offend anyone or promote or endorse hurtful, negative things about body image and identity. These aren’t things that align with mine or Ava’s beliefs or experiences. It was never our intention to promote anything bad or toxic. Our intention was to do a fun and satirical piece on random things that we are interested in. The intention was to come off as witty and funny: hence the bright pink and blue layout, the bolded quotes on narcissism, and the conversation-style writing of the story. When Ava and I approach writing a column, we typically go for this comedic angle in writing. Something that Ava and I should have done with this story is emphasize that the story reflects us and our experiences in life and in high school. The intention was never meant to create “guidelines” for people to follow. It was
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never our intention to put down or belittle people with the topics we chose, but we specifically picked topics to poke fun at ourselves and no one else. Personally, I was aware of the controversy around Brandy Melville’s sizing, but not the remarks of their CEO. In the quote: “Their clothes are so comfortable, not too expensive and the sizing is marketed to all (that’s a whole other topic),” I added the part in parenthesis, trying to highlight the flaws of the company’s “one size fits all” sizing. Many products are advertised as an “oversized fit.” I never intended to or meant to endorse or agree with the idea of one size fitting all; I only just pointed out that it was marketed that way. Both Ava and I have struggled with body image, eating and the struggles that come with it, so of course, we understand the concern and frustration with how our article came off as. On behalf of myself, Ava and the Echo, I am very sorry for any hurt that our article may have caused. It was never our intention to do so.
As I mentioned earlier, I really appreciate your maturity of coming to the Echo and with your concern. If I had a problem with something published as an outside reader, it’s what I would do too. Posting on public or private social media about how you don’t like Ava or me, or our writing, is hypocritical, considering the criticism of our article and its ignorance. I understand if someone doesn’t like this article, but using it as an excuse to talk behind our backs just about us is unproductive. Personal attacks, whether in person or through social media, seem immature and unhelpful. Being openly gay at WGHS, I’ve dealt with my fair share of bullies, criticisms, taunts and scoffs in the hallways, but using my writing as an excuse to be blatantly rude is unfair. I do apologize for any hurt feelings the article may have caused, as that was not our intention. I take accountability for my writing and position on the Echo, and I’m very prideful in it.
Letter to the Editor | Early April 2022
students, teachers go to Costa Rica over spring break Junior Editor Lydia Urice Forty Spanish students and six chaperones went to Costa Rica on March 18-27. “We originally organized it in the fall of 2019, with the hopes of traveling a year and a half later. We were supposed to go in March of 2021, but we couldn’t because of all the restrictions, so we ended up delaying it a year,” Spanish teacher and chaperone Amy Rowland said before the trip. The school district announced that no school trips would be allowed for the 2021-22 school year, so Rowland and other organizers decided to make it a “private trip.” “Last year, we decided not to make it a school trip. That’s when the vaccine was rolling out. We made that decision in May, and a lot of people had been vaccinated, and it was before Omicron and all that stuff, so it was looking very promising. We decided we didn’t wanna cancel because people could get vaccinated and travel. We decided to stick with it,” Rowland said. “The only difference is that if it’s a school trip and students, if there’s any kind of disciplinary issues, then they could be disciplined when they get back, and if it’s a school trip, you can use school email, we can have a canvas course, you know for all the communication, but since it’s not a school trip we just have to use private email and we can’t use school resources to organize it,” Rowland said. Costa Rica has strict COVID guidelines that must be followed. “All travelers have to be vaccinated, fully vaccinated to go, and that’s not only our rule, but also to enter Costa Rica, all travelers have to be vaccinated, and they have to test negative within 72 hours before we go. Even if somebody has had COVID, and recovered, they still need to test negative. Between everybody being vaccinated and testing negative, hopefully, everybody should be pretty safe,” Rowland said. “While we’re in Costa Rica, we have to
Early April 2022 | Feature
Photo by Amy Rowland
Students go on a crocodile tour on a river in Monteverde, Costa Rica. wear masks indoors. It’s a little bit different here, where we’re like, ‘You need to wear masks’, and people can ignore it and that kind of thing, but Costa Rica’s different because restaurants and shops will not let you in if you don’t have your mask because they can be fined by the government,” Rowland said. “To get back into the country, for all travelers, you have to test negative within a day before your arrival, and that’s for all passengers, all around the world that are entering the United States. That’s a CDC rule,” Rowland said. They used a travel company called Education First. “This is my fifth trip with them. We’ve gone to Spain. This will be the third one to Costa Rica. They’re the ones who buy the tickets, organize the itinerary, book the hotels. They arrange all that,” Rowland said. “We have someone called a tour director, and they’re with us 24 hours a day from when we land. They organize the days’ events. All of my work is done beforehand, organizing the trip and communicating between them, then the parents and the travelers,” Rowland said. There was an upfront cost of about $3,000 and then after that travelers only had to bring money for souvenirs or extra snacks. “For the European trips, usually, you
have to buy your own lunch but for Costa Rica. It’s not like that because usually, we’re at a location that’s kind of remote, so they schedule it,” Rowland said. Another benefit of going to Costa Rice is that the businesses accept payments in U.S. dollars. “It’s kinda like the second currency there. Everything is priced in colónes, but you can pay in dollars. If I were to pay for something in U.S. dollars, they would give me colónes back in change,” Rowland said. German teacher David Kraus is one of the other chaperones that went to Costa Rica. He’s been working on learning Spanish but is not fluent yet. “I am excited about going to Costa Rica for several reasons. I have never been to Costa Rica before, and this will be my first trip to Central America. I am also excited about traveling with students again. I have been a chaperone on a few trips, and I always enjoy getting to know students in a different atmosphere outside of the classroom,” Kraus said over email before the trip. “I am excited! I can’t wait to go to Costa Rica! It will be my first time going out of the country, and I can’t wait to experience another culture,” senior Camille Herrman said over email before the trip. “We’re all really excited to finally get to go,” Rowland said.
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Students self-express
Editor-in-Chief Jackson Parks
Through many different art forms, teenage artists encapsulate the personality and individuality that WGHS emphasizes to its students. WGHS is home to a variety of talented student artists. Under the black-painted and tileless ceiling of the art hallway, self-expression through art reigns high. Senior Sadie Coalier has been involved in the art department through a variety of courses and clubs all throughout high school. Whether it be through AP Studio Art, National Art Honor Society, illustrations to accompany an Echo story or through her film photography, Coalier shows herself through her art in many ways. Coalier said, “My favorite thing about art is just the ability to create something that makes me happy and beautiful. I think a lot of people have their ‘thing,’ and for as long as I know art has been mine.” Coalier finds inspiration through everything around her. “I think everything inspires me, if I’m being honest. Plants, people, movies, music, etc. I think my biggest inspiration is other creative people because I look up to them. I follow a lot of artists on Instagram and keep tabs on my favorite paintings and art,” Coalier said. “A big inspiration [for her art] is also fashion and shoes. Clothes are a big part of my creative process, like the patterns and structure. I also just love clothes,” Coalier shared. Coalier has been awarded and honored for her art as well. “I have entered Scholastic three times and have one honorable mention and a Gold Key. I have made third place in the Lindenwood art show for my printmaking. I have done a lot of art for art shows and sold prints before, as well as cards,” Coalier said.
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About her outside of school and competition art, “I also have a job and internship with an art restoration business that mostly restores old statues and paintings, which is so cool to learn about,” Coalier said. “Genuinely, I love all art, and it kind of changes what I like the most, but I have always loved printmaking and gouache and watercolor painting. Those are the two things I enjoy the most,” Coalier said. “Printmaking is very methodical and has a certain process. I usually like the straightforwardness of it, because I often get off track or only half-finish things. I think the graphic nature of it is so cool and reminds me of 70s-90s print magazines and old posters.” “When I do portraits, I like to use gouache, because it’s easy to use in my opinion, and I feel like you can do a lot with it. A lot of portraits I’ve done have been with gouache,” Coalier said. Art and personality can be showcased through fashion as well. Seeing senior Chloe Somraty in the hallway, one would definitely know her for her amazing, chic sense of style. Somraty believes in the power of fashion -- and how transformative it can be in self-expression. “I think my favorite thing about fashion is kind of just how transformative it can be. If I wake up one morning, and I’m just like not feeling it and not in a good mood, if I put on a cute outfit that makes me feel good about myself, I kind of feel like I’m an entirely different person. I feel like a lot of the time I can kind of just take on the mood of my outfit, like even just the colors,” Somraty said. Somraty continued on fashion’s impact on her overall mood, saying, “If I’m wearing lighter colors and my silhouette is more flowy, I feel a lot different than when I’m wearing darker colors and tighter fit. Little things like that just can completely change the way I go about my day. I just love the way that I
feel when I love the outfit I have on. I can feel like a completely different person.” Somraty takes inspiration from her own role models in fashion and pop culture. “For inspiration, I have a lot of role models, like people I kind of always tend to come back to when I’m feeling like I’m in a rut and I need some inspiration. I feel l i k e my main inspiration recently has been Sarah Jessica Parker i n the original filming of ‘Sex and the City.’ All of her outfits from that time period are just so good. I think I’m really drawn to the silhouettes of a lot of those different outfits. I also of course love
Bella Hadid, Alexa Demie, all of those icons,” Somraty said. However, Somraty believes inspiration shouldn’t trump personality. “I think the main thing with inspiration is that you don’t look at an outfit and copy it completely. You have to know how to look at an outfit and think ‘okay, I like the silhouette of this’ or ‘okay, I like the color scheme of this’ or ‘I like the mood of this.’ I feel like that’s where the creativity comes from, like pulling different parts from an outfit and making it work with your style and the things that are in your wardrobe. I don’t think you should go out and buy a completely new outfit because Bella Hadid wore it. Take the aspects that you like and pull from your own wardrobe with that,” Somraty added. Fashion and creativity have had a major impact on Somraty. Somraty plans to major and study in fashion at Columbia College Chicago, but this was not always the case. “I did not know that I wanted to study fashion until about a Art by Sadie Coalier Photographs by Chloe Somraty
Feature | Early April 2022
s through art, fashion year ago. I’ve always been really into environmentalism. I was thinking I was going to become an environmental lawyer. Thinking about it now, absolutely not. I could never get through law school, but I am planning to minor in sustainability still. I think learning about all of that really affected my style too, because I started to move away from fast fashion, and now I pretty much only thrift all my clothes,” Somraty said. Somraty thrifts most of her clothing. “I will buy from non-thrift stores, if there’s a hole in my wardrobe that I need to fill and it’s holding me back and I haven’t been able to thrift it, but I literally get like a high when I find a cool, unique piece at a thrift store,” Somraty said. Somraty appreciates thrift stores for their sustainability -- but also for their own impact and inspiration on herself. Also, Somraty finds inspiration and appreciation in her own peers. “I think getting into that completely transformed my style. I feel like it is so hard for me to really put together a good outfit and wear it to school, like I just need to be wearing sweats or jeans to school. There’s so many people that just come to school everyday, and they’re just like serving every single day, like they’re just giving. I am lowkey so jealous of those people, because it is so hard for me to really put together a good outfit and wear it to school. I think it’s something about the environment and school versus the weekend. I have a completely different style at school than I do on the weekends,” Somraty noted. Senior Rachel Sebastian-Asbed is another notable artist of Webster Groves. Throughout high school, her pieces have stretched across the art hallway. Like others, Sebastian-Asbed’s inspiration for art comes from all around hers, but her own experiences and relationships inspire her the most.
Early April 2022 | Feature
“What inspires me is my experiences and mostly my interactions with people. Just how I can connect with people I don’t know through art. Just thinking about the importance of small moments and trying to capture that essence through pencil drawings,” Sebastian-Asbed said. Sebastian-Asbed’s favorite art forms are drawing and painting, but about her favorite part about art itself, “My favorite thing is probably the subjectivity of it. You can make anything you want and have it be interpreted in so many ways, but also you don’t have to listen to what others say because it’s your depiction of whatever you were inspired by,” Sebastian-Asbed said. Sebastian-Asbed appreciates art for its inclusivity and how universal it is. “It’s also very therapeutic and inclusive. It gives people, whether it be me or someone else, a way to express themselves and communicate if they have trouble doing so. Particularly, I think art done by artists with special needs is amazing, because since some can’t accurately talk about what’s going on with them, the only thing they can use is art. It’s just so universal,” SebastianAsbed said. Sebastian-Asbed is no stranger to awards or achievements for her art. “I was an All Write artist. I’ve won a Silver Key in the Scholastic Art and Writing competition for a portfolio. I got second place in the Lindenwood art competition. One piece of mine was chosen to represent the third congressional district in a competition where my piece won our Missouri state districts. It goes to Jefferson City and stays there for a while,” Sebastian-Asbed shared. Senior Harper Kehl, another rising artist, showcases herself and her experi-
ences through photography and other mediums. Whether it be vibrant colors, patterned fashion pieces or through the snap of a lens, Kehl and her personality are most known through her art and the style of it. Kehl’s favorite form of art is photography. “I really love photography, because I feel like it’s so inspiring to be able to capture moments that you can look back on forever. I think why I take so many photos is because I love being able to look back on a certain moment in time,” Kehl said. “Photography is such a good way of capturing how you feel in a period of time,” Kehl said. About why she loves art, “It’s open to everyone’s interpretation. I also think art is a really good way of expressing yourself, whether you are doing it intentionally or not. In the end, you always end up learning something new about yourself,” Kehl shared. Kehl finds inspiration through her friends and the sounds around her. “My friends and my music and everything around me inspire me. I also think what influences me the most is my emotions and how I’m feeling when I create art,” Kehl shared. “I have been working with ceramics a lot lately, creating shoes out of clay and working with different glazes. Alongside this, I have also been experimenting with different lighting techniques and exposures with film photography,” Kehl said, about her current creative process. Kehl’s art is well known and appreciated throughout Webster Groves. “Last year, Anna Barr and I constructed a nine foot monolith that we moved around Webster, including city hall, the Webster Groves sculpture garden and even right here in front of the high school on Selma,” Kehl said.
Art by Rachel Sebastian-Asbed and Harper Kehl
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Cast shares preparation for ‘Harvey’ Business Manager Izzy Poole
Public Relations Calvin Lescher
“Harvey is not a fluff piece. Harvey is a very smart, well written comedy, so I thought I want to do Harvey because about eight years ago we had planned to do Harvey,” drama teacher Todd Schaefer said. The performances will be April 13-16. “We have a really great cast of people, and it’s really fun to work with people who are super into the character because it lets you have the liberty to be into the character,” senior Bella Ferrell said. As it gets closer the cast shares what they are most looking forward to. Sophomore Teddy Woldow said, “I’m really looking forward to the costuming if I’m being honest because we get to dress like we are from the 40s.” Ferrell agreed, “Probably getting into full costume because my character for one, is a blonde, and I am not a blonde, and it would be fun to see what I look like as a blonde and seeing everyone else.” “Definitely getting on stage and being able to rehearse and act on stage, it seems really fun,” sophomore Fynn Wolf said about their favorite part. Schaefer described what the costumes and makeup will look like. “The set crew’s going to be the big tech crew and makeup. We have makeup and hair and costumes, but it’s only a cast of like 10, and they all wear the same clothes the whole time there’s no fast changes or anything there’s no special effects costumes. It’s just standard people dressed as though they were from the 1940s,” Schaefer said. “I’m looking for people who can do comedy, so it’s about comic timing. This is not a tech heavy show. It’s an actor show, and it’s a character driven show, so I’m looking for people in that audition who could bring a character to the audition, and not necessarily be themselves, and I got a couple of people who could do that,” Schaefer said.
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“I kind of just winged it, but I guess it worked,” freshman Sophia Monaco said about her preparation for the audition. “My friend forced me to do it (audition), and I wasn’t really expecting to get the role. I really didn’t take it seriously,” Wolf said about the auditioning process. Woldow said, “Really I was just doing it for fun. After Zombie I really enjoyed the play experience so I really liked doing the play then so I figured I could audition now and if I got it I got it, and if I didn’t I didn’t, and it was kind of low stakes, I really didn’t think I was going to get a main roll, so getting Elwood was really cool,” Ferrell said,“Well it’s kind of really random. I had just gotten off quarantine, and I came back and I was like oh that’s cool, and I was feeling extra confident. I think that’s what it was. I had a spirt of confidence and went and tried. It worked out so,” “I applied for the rights, and they put me on a pending status and we went ahead and announced it… the night before we were supposed to start rehearsals with my cast the licencing agent called me and said, ‘Sorry a union company in your region has taken the rights from you, so we have to reject your application,’ and we didn’t get to do ‘Harvey,’ So I’m back, I’ve Art by Bella Ferrell been wanting to do Harvey for about the last 10 years and it’s one of the top produced high school shows in the country,” Schaefer said. “Our mission statement is we go after award winning scripts so Harvey is your Pulitzer winner from the 40s, written by a female playwright,” Schaefer said. “This one is a three-act play. It’s going to probably run for at least two hours at max, but we are going to try to get it down to about an hour 50 with an intermission. It’s 71 pages, so it should be if it’s a minute a page which is usually about the length of a page it should be an hour 20, but there’s monologues and stuff so it’s not always a minute a page. It’ll probably be about an hour 50. I’m hoping, I want it to be under two hours if I can,” Schaefer said.
Early April 2022 | Feature
Teenagers appreciate past trends Editor-in-Chief Jackson Parks
News/Opinion Editor Emily Goben
As decades come and go, they each seem to leave their mark on people’s minds with specific trends that will remain forever symbolic of that era. It is nearly impossible to see a flannel without thinking of the iconic 90s grunge, a jukebox without recalling the 50s or a peace sign without reminiscing about the 70s. Even without having lived through these eras, teenagers are still able to appreciate them through photos, movies and stories they hear from older generations. Senior Greta Eames said her favorite past trend was platform shoes from the 60s. “They make everyone look cool,” Eames said. “My favorite trend was women having short hair, like that being fem. Anywhere from the 1900s to the 1990s, and then after that short hair was kind of not popular, like the 90s pixie cut and the 70s blowouts,” senior Bella Ferrell said. However, many teens’ favorite trends are things that make them nostalgic for their childhood. “My favorite past trend would have to be playing on Nintendo DS’s. They were so fun, and everyone had one. The games they had for them were so fun, so typical, and so 2000s. Everything about playing on a DS is magical. I had a pink DS, and everyone wanted the pink one SO badly. I just miss it so much,” senior Anna Karpen said. “My favorite past trend is silly bands. I loved how you could
Photo by Emily Goben
A 2000s era silly band rests atop 70s style flowers.
collect and trade them. They need to be in again,” junior Spencer Willman said Senior Zoe Rush said that her favorite trend is flare pants because they make her look taller. This trend was notorious for fashion icons in the late 90s and early 2000s. Junior Robyn Foley’s favorite trend is even more recent. “My favorite past trend was Harry Potter TikTok. It was super fun to bring back my favorite childhood series, and it was super comforting during the pandemic. It was really awesome for a lot of people and added a lot of fun to a not great time,” Foley said.
Join us in Celebration of the Lord!
Early April 2022 | Feature
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Students notice lack of s Editor-in-Chief Jackson Parks Students have noticed a difference in crowd size and support between men’s and women’s sports. Whether it be empty stands, sexist comments or a lack of support for women’s sports, there is a divide in support between men’s and women’s sports. Senior Hannah Heimann, who has played volleyball for all four years of high school, has noticed a lack of support for women’s sports. “I definitely have seen the difference between the support and hype between men’s and women’s sports. As a female athlete, I have noticed the big lack of support throughout the years in comparison to men’s. Not as many students show interest in women’s sports as per their own opinions,” Heimann said. Heimann continued, “The attendance has been weak for girls’ sports for years. There used to be a big support [for women’s sports], but it somehow has trickled off. Women’s sports do not have the same support as men’s, and that is really needed.” Activities director Jerry Collins does agree that there is a difference in crowd support between men’s and women’s sports. However, an issue of crowd support is not an administrative problem, but it falls on students. “As far as do people come to games differently, we would like them to. If you come to a game, it seemingly appears that there are more people at boys’ games than girls’ games, not always but typically. I don’t really have a good answer for why that is. There’s probably a lot of societal reasons or whatever may be the case. It’s obviously something that we’d like to see different, but I don’t know that it’s anything that we’re doing that’s not allowing that,” Collins said.
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Efforts have been made in promotion to increase crowd support for women’s games by administration, such as T-shirts, donated tickets or even dance clinics. “Promotionally, I don’t think there’s a difference. I mean, we have the same number of games. We try to run the games the same way, whether it’s soccer, track, basketball, whatever. I think administratively we make every effort to support them equally,” Collins said about any possible difference in promotion. Collins continued, “We try to promote them, we have their games at the same time. We try to d o
p r o motional things, like
they both usually have elementary days for basketball for example. We try to find ways for more people to come to their games. We have some games together, having the dance clinic at a girls game, and at that girls game there were a lot of people. It was one of the biggest crowds of the year for a girls’ game because we did that extra event with it. There are ways we
can help encourage that and promote the attendance of the girls games.” More than just student athletes have noticed the divide in support for men’s and women’s sports. Senior cheerleader Lillie Torbit has noticed a divide in support through cheering at games. “I can personally see the divide in support by just attendance at games. When I cheer for a girls’ basketball game, there won’t even be a student section. Last Saturday on the 5th, it was apparent with the double headers. There was clearly more support in the student section and stands for the boys’ game which happened after the girls’ game,” Torbit said. Varsity cheerleaders are required to go to all Varsity basketball games. Like other students, Torbit has overheard sexist remarks or excuses against women’s’ sports. “They [female athletes] are putting in the effort too, and it’s not being recognized because ‘it’s not entertaining’ or ‘the girls don’t get thrown around as much as the boys.’ These are all excuses I’ve heard as to why people don’t want to show up, and I’ve heard way more than just these two,” Torbit explained. Women’s’ Varsity basketball captain Ellie Paloucek has seen a divide firsthand. “I think there is a divide in women’s and men’s sports, even in high school. For example, the boys keep track of all their wins on a big sign in Roberts
Sports | Early April 2022
support in women’s sports Gym, and girls’ basketball has nothing like that. Also, the boys have a contract with Nike, and the girls benefit from that too, but we get less apparel (shoes) than the boys’ team does,” Paloucek said. There is no concrete difference in budget between men’s and women’s sports teams. Rather, budgets are determined by a need basis from year to year. Some years things such as uniforms, balls or other equipment may be added to a team’s budget. There is no enforced divide in budget between men’s and women’s teams. Paloucek noted the lack of crowd support at women’s’ basketball games. “Our student sections are barely a thing at girls’ games, unless the boys have a game after us,” Paloucek added. Senior Chloe Hagemann, who is a Varsity swimmer, said, “There is no doubt that there is a divide between attendance at men’s versus women’s sport events. I think that it is completely ridiculous that people disregard women’s sports, when the girls’ teams are often just as good, if not better than the men’s teams, no offense.” Hagemann mentioned specifics she’s seen in lack of support for women’s’ sports at WGHS. “I mean, people only really came to one girls’ volleyball game. I heard basically nothing about girls’ tennis until they did so well at Districts and made it to State. The girls’ golf and swim t e a m s also had amazing seasons, making it to State and
Early April 2022 | Sports
having some amazing performances that didn’t get nearly as much attendance as, say, the football team or boys’ soccer,” Hagemann said. “The girls’ basketball team only started to get attention when they got into the bigger games and tournaments, and even then there is double the amount of spectators at the boys’ games,” Hagemann said. “I think the school can do a better job of promoting women’s sports, and the students need to step up and realize that they should be supporting everyone whenever they can.” Senior Varsity cheer captain Gigi Tetley has noticed a lack of support for women’s sports through cheerleading, similar to Torbit. “I’ve especially noticed it [lack of support for women’s sports] through basketball games and playing lacrosse. I see that not a lot of people come to the women’s games, even though they are just as entertaining or even more entertaining to watch. I don’t think that men’s sports should get any more or less attention, but I think that they should be equal because they are both just as fun to watch and play,” Tetley said. Senior Margot Siener, who plays Varsity swim and lacrosse, said, “I think there is a major divide between men’s and women’s sports. I think there has always been a fight for more equality within sports, and when it comes to support women defi-
nitely have less. This is evident in all of society but essentially at Webster. For example, when boys’ basketball is often close to sold out and the girls are not near that.” “I think it is unfair that not as many people support women’s sports. Many fans are unaware of the talent Webster’s girls teams have. It is hard performing to your best when you know your school is not there to support you,” Siener said. Senior Varsity basketball player Sophia Nittinger has played all four years of high school. “Since both the boys’ team and the girls’ team are both good, you would expect similar amounts of people at games. With COVID protocols lifted, a regular season home girls’ game mostly has parents in attendance. Meanwhile for boys, there are always outside supporters and a student section at boys’ games. I do understand men’s sports are more widely watched and appreciated and bring in more money like NFL and NBA corporations, but at the high school level, basketball at Webster, girls are lucky to have students in attendance,” Nittinger said. “Over four years on Varsity, I’ve seen the difference in attendance between girls basketball games and boys. I think with the girls’ team success in the past year we should have more people at our games,” Nittinger said. Art by Sadie Coalier
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Photo by Emily Goben
Sophomore Gianni Ferentinos steals the ball and dribbles down the court during the State championship game against Helias Catholic on March 19. Statesmen won 72-53.
Statesmen win 2022 Show-Me Showdown News/Opinion Editor Emily Goben Statesmen men’s basketball won the 2022 Show-Me Showdown, the State championship tournament for Missouri. This is the team’s third State title in six years. The Statesmen defeated two-time defending State champion Cardinal Ritter with a close 60-57 win in the Semifinals, followed by a confident 72-53 win against Helias Catholic. “I feel like the team played with a mindset that we’re not leaving Springfield without a State championship trophy with us,” senior and co-captain Ethan Chartrand wrote. This is the fifth State championship trophy awarded to WGHS men’s basketball. “Sometimes as a coach you just have a good feeling and by Saturday at noon I had that feeling. I was trying to stay focused but could just tell in my gut that this group was on a mission to finish,” head coach Justin Mathes wrote. Chartrand said that the reason the team won is because they just kept playing, no matter the score. “When it was the fourth quarter and we were winning by a good amount, no one had the mindset that the game was over, and our team played until the final buzzer, and that’s why we won State!” Chartrand wrote. Sophomore Gianni Ferentinos emphasized the sacrifices that everyone on the team made - junior Jalen Purvey accepting the role of the sixth man, Chartrand guarding the opposing team’s best player every game and many team members sharing the ball, court and limelight despite their individual talent. “I had to accept my role to space the floor and shoot when I’m open even though I definitely wanted to do more than that. That’s what it takes to win. Sacrifice for the greater good,” Ferentinos
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said. “A lot of teams don’t want to do the little things that matter - diving on the floor, taking charges, playing hard - and that’s something we take pride in and represent,” sophomore Iziah Purvey wrote. One thing that Purvey didn’t mention is the importance of good communication in a game like basketball, which is a skill that seems to occur naturally between Chartrand and Purvey. The two have an uncanny sense of when a pass is coming from the other, and the teamwork between these two has earned the Statesmen countless layups and three point shots this season. “It’s not just that we won it, it’s how we won it. We were tougher and more together. We always talk about TTW (toughest team wins) and this group lived up to that mantra. We were undersized all year and overcame it by outworking teams and being more physical. This team consistently showed the ability to rise to a challenge,” Mathes wrote. This is Mathes’ first State championship trophy as head coach. He coached this team to a victory in just three years as head coach, setting a new record for Statesmen men’s basketball. “My favorite stat of the season was that Matt Enright, our leading scorer, had zero points at halftime of the state championship and we were up by 23 points. It just shows how balanced this team was and how it was a total team-effort,” Mathes wrote. The balanced nature of the team and the teamwork mentioned by Mathes led to a natural connection and common goal for all the players. “Having a picture of how special our team is in Robert’s forever has been all of our goals since the beginning. The bond we have formed through all the adversity goes far beyond basketball, and that is what makes this moment so sweet,” senior and co-captain Matt Enright said.
Sports | Early April 2022
WGHS women’s basketball takes 3rd News/Opinion Editor Emily Goben
After a difficult 55-42 loss to the unbeatable communication, defensive power and drive of Whitfield, the WGHS women’s basketball team made a comeback, defeating Smithville 54-33 and securing third place in the 2022 Show-Me Showdown. The Show-Me Showdown is the annual Missouri state championship tournament, and was held at Missouri State University’s JQH Arena March 18 and 19. “Playing for third place isn’t exactly what we wanted, but ending my basketball career on a win totally makes up for it, and seeing the boys win was super special, too,” senior Ellie Paloucek said. Paloucek won the single game scoring record for Webster Groves at the ShowMe Showdown with 27 points. Head coach Joshua Spuhl had a similar sentiment to Paloucek. “I feel good about how we played Saturday. The team was able to show how we can really play and end the season on a win,” Spuhl said. Unlike most teams that weekend, the most tear-jerking part was not the awards ceremony at the end - it was when senior Jenna Clark, who had surgery on her ACL just a few weeks ago, scored the first basket of the game. Clark, who has played on Varsity since freshman year, tore her ACL in February.
For anyone else, this would have been the devastating end of a career. However, Clark’s positive attitude, unmatched drive and dedication to her team kept her motivated, and she acted as a mentor and role model for underclassmen on her team. Smithville agreed to exchange basket’s at the beginning of the game, allowing the Statesmen to win the jump ball and pass to Clark, who was waiting by the net to score. Webster then allowed Smithville a layup, evening the score back out, and Clark returned to the bench amidst hugs from her coaches and teammates. “It brought tears to my eyes. Jenna is the sweetest, most humble, poised and positive kid you will meet. She has been the team captain and her injury happened right before playoffs started. She has a full ride golf scholarship to Maryville, straight A’s, and more faith in her little finger than I do in my 54 years of life,” team parent Tracy Paloucek said. “The moment was definitely bittersweet. I was more nervous than any game I have played before because I did not know what to expect. At first, I did not want to do it because the pain of putting that jersey on again after weeks of accepting that I would not play again was going to be very hard. Now, I am incredibly thankful I did because being with my senior starters one last time was exactly what I needed to end my basketball career,” Clark wrote.
Photo by Emily Goben
Senior Ellie Paloucek dribbles past opposing Whitfield players during the 2022 Show-Me Showdown on March 18.
Despite the tough competition in the semifinal game, the team quite literally played until the final second, with freshman Emery McReynolds scoring a three point buzzer beater. “These games are something special to be a part of because only a small amount of high school students get to experience going to state. I love every bit even though the girls team didn’t finish exactly how we wanted to. It is a memory that I will always hold on to and look back on,” senior Eliza Maupin said. Maupin will be continuing her basketball career at Kansas State University next year.
Letter to the Editor:
Chelsea Center offers learning opportunities Established in 2010 at Webster Groves High School, the Chelsea Center is unique in American education in offering specific, targeted resources and a three-part structured process to help students find and/or pursue their passions outside the regular classroom through experiential learning. We all have many experiences in our lives, with family and friends, inside and outside of school, but we rarely stop to consider what we might learn from all these experiences – learn about ourselves and learn about the community and environment in which we live. The Chelsea Center helps establish and facilitate this learning process. Students may pursue their interests through job shadowing, internships, part-time employment, volunteering and traveling. The Center offers a myriad of already developed experiential opportunities and also works with students who have specific in-
Early April 2022 | Letter to the Editor
terests they may wish to develop. Are you going to mentor or tutor students in WGSD for A+ hours or have a part-time job? Or travel with family or a school group? Why not sign up with the Chelsea Center, learn from this experience, and earn academic credit for the learning that occurs? College applications and prospective employers want to know what you have DONE while in high school, beyond the classes you have taken and the grades you received. The Chelsea Center can help you build a stronger resume to effectively present yourself. Stop by the Chelsea Center, room 200, to find out how you may take advantage of this underutilized WGHS resource – either over the summer or during the academic year.
- Glenn Detrick Parent/Community Member and Founder of the Chelsea Center wgecho.org
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Alumni teachers discuss how WGHS has changed Podcast Editor Maren DeMargel “I think I felt like in high school that, at least in the programs that I was a part of, everybody really cared about each other, and that was a nice feeling. [It was] kind of like a family type of feeling, and [it was] one of the reasons I wanted to come back and work at Webster,” assistant principal Madeline Craig said. Craig, former student athlete and editor-in-chief of the Echo, graduated from Webster in 2004. According to her, the average day for a WGHS student in the early 2000s is not too different from what it is now. “I know that with the pandemic it’s obviously changed a little bit how we go through the day to day. I think I’d usually get up and try to make it on time to my first period class, and then after school I usually had some sort of activity. Between the sports I played, I was almost always here later in the evening or coming back for games,” Craig said. Science teacher Lauren Braswell, who graduated in 2008, offered a similar daily routine. “It sounds quite boring, but just coming to school, going to practice, and then going home and working on homework. I will say I actually appreciate that we did not have smart phones back when I was in high school (we only had flip phones), because there really was no distraction while at school with social media, and texting wasn’t quick on a flip phone,” Braswell said via email. Today’s use of technology was something that several teachers acknowledged as a drastic change from their time in high school. “[There is] more push towards using technology. We’re trying to get to a point where it’s one-to-one as far as school provided technology for students. Obviously providing technology for 1,400-1,500 students is challenging, but that’s definitely a bigger change,” social studies teacher Dontrail Johnson said. Johnson graduated in 2012. Craig related the lack of technology during her time in high school to the amount of time it took for her and her classmates to understand what was happening during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “I was in high school for 9/11, and I remember I was in a social studies classroom. I remember my social studies teacher coming in and then telling me that. At that time he was like, ‘Some idiot flew a plane into a tower,’ like thinking it was Photo provided by an accident, and I got to my third Dontrail Johnson hour, again we were just kinda like Dontrail Johnson ‘Haha,’ like not really understandplayed football. ing the weight of that, and then I
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got to my third hour, and I had Mr. Dunn, and he had it on the TV, like an old box TV, and so it’s like, things just happened slower. We were able to watch it, so it’s not like technology didn’t exist. It just wasn’t instantaneous,” Craig said. Another change that was commonly mentioned was the newfound strength of the student voice. “[The student voice] is a lot bigger now than it was then, which is a good thing,” Johnson said. “I don’t think we had any big social movements [when I was in high school,] but I think the protests in Ferguson in 2014 really inspired a lot of young people, so we’ve seen so much more, and I think that’s a really cool thing,” Craig said. “Especially as a former social studies teacher, I love seeing students using their voice and standing up for what they believe in.” One unique change that Braswell mentioned was the amount of school spirit that students lack now. “The biggest change I ‘feel’ on a daily basis is there seems to be less school pride. My peers and I were truly proud to call ourselves Statesmen and say we went to Webster; it was a feeling you felt every day Photo provided walking through these by Madeline Craig halls. While I feel that Madeline Craig played is true for some students softball when she was in still today, I do see fewer high school. students feel connected to Webster. Why that is I am not sure; it is probably a multitude of reasons,” Braswell said via email. Johnson, while he did not note a lack of school pride, recognized a shift in the sports and activities that students root for and participate in. “School spirit has been high and low. It’s weird. There’s been a huge change. When I was here, everyone loved the football team and the basketball team. Now, everyone loves the soccer team, and the girls’ teams are doing really well,” Johnson said. While there have been many changes, some things have stayed the same. For example, all of the interviewees were taught by teachers who they now work with. Johnson, who was taught by Coach [James] Lemay, Mr. [Eric] Dunn, Coach [Sean] Wright, Ms. [Jessica] Haskins, Coach [Jon] Petter, and more, discussed what it was like to go from their student to their colleague. “It was super weird at first because I would always call them ‘Mr. Whatever-their-last-name-is’ or ‘Mrs. Whatever-their-lastname-is’ and having to readjust to calling them by their first names still feels kinda weird to me. So I just called them ‘Coach’ most of the time, but it’s kinda nice because there’s no awkward stage of ‘I have to get to know you, you have to get to know me.’
Feature | Early April 2022
They actually remembered me, even though it was like seven years ago,” Johnson said. “It’s also kinda cool because they’d literally seen me grow up from a dorky 10th grader to what I am now. I’m a dorky teacher now.” Johnson’s favorite high school memory also included one of WGHS’s current administrators, but in a unique way. “I love football and my football memories are probably my better memories. We played at State my junior year, but the game before that we played Kirkwood in the semifinals, and it was probably one of the bigger games in my career. Dr. (Matt) Irvin was actually the KirkPhoto provided by Lauren wood coach at the time, so it’s weird how it Braswell came full circle,” Johnson said. Lauren Braswell poses for a Braswell’s favorite memory comes back to high school yearbook photo. the spirit that she misses seeing among stu-
dents. “I’m not sure I could choose one, but every Turkey Day Week in general freshman year-senior year I remember so fondly. It was always the best week of school. Everyone would really dress to the theme, and you would get to school early to walk around and see all of the different hallways decorated by the different classes to the themes. I really miss that at Turkey Day,” Braswell said via email. Craig’s favorite memories stem from the activities she participated in. “I had some really good coaches, and made connections with my coaches and teammates and the programs that I was in,” Craig said.
Ava’s Anecdotes
The search for the ‘perfect’ prom dress, two years later Print Editor Ava Musgraves As the second half of this abnormal school year comes to a close, the anticipation for one iconic event increases: prom. With prom, comes the months of preparation. This includes finding the perfect dress. These days, the issue isn’t that there aren’t enough options; this issue is that there are too many. Thousands of styles, colors, and trends make the decision making process almost impossible. The rise of exclusively online boutiques and online shopping in the past few years has broadened the selection even further. My sophomore year, I wrote one of my favorite stories to date that centered around finding the best prom dress selection from local stores. Now I find myself scouring websites, malls, searching for my dress. Until I remembered I wrote a guide to shopping for prom, so it’s time to revisit the recommendations from my 16 year old self. Looking back, I recommended Windsor, and Camille La Vie which have varying price ranges. Dresses at Windsor start at $10, providing a more budget friendly option. Sizes range from XS to 3X, but after trying on the dresses don’t seem to be truly to size, for me they seemed to run a little small/big depending on the fabric. I tend to gravitate toward a more classic and simple look for dresses, and that does not seem to be the trend this year. Racks at Windsor were filled with dresses glittered with sparkles, patterns, and un-traditional silhouettes. If that is more your speed, I definitely would recommend checking it out. Camille La Vie, also located in West County Mall has dresses from 150 to 600, most from designer brands hence the higher price point. With that higher price, I noticed that the hardware and fabrics of the dress were better quality. If that is important to you and you don’t mind spending a little more I would recommend
Early April 2022 | Entertainment
Photos by Ava Musgraves
Mirror selfies taken at Windsor and Camille La Vie. From left to right the first two dresses are from Camille La Vie, the third is from Windsor, and the last is from Camille La Vie (and is the dress Ava chose).
checking this store out. After trying on several different dresses at both stores recommended by my sophomore self, I ultimately decided on a dress from Camille La Vie. With all the color, silhouette, and size options it made it possible for me to find the “perfect dress” finally for me.
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Senior Shane MacIntyre ptiches during tryouts on March 3, at Plymouth Field.
Photo by Owen Crews
Baseball team kicks off spring season Video Editor Calum Shank Varsity baseball looks to build off of last season and improve in 2022. The team’s season ended last year at Districts. Its final record was 12-18. “We need to build off of last year’s District game and go further in the playoffs. As we continue to strengthen the culture of the program, we should focus on our individual jobs which will help the team as a whole run smoothly,” senior Joe Ruzicka said. “My personal goals are to help the team to the best of my ability and stay healthy,” Ruzicka added. The team’s season in the previous year ended in Districts on May 18, with a 10-0 loss to Parkway West. Parkway West baseball ended its season with a record of 23-4. The Statesmen will play Parkway West again this year on April 19, at Plymouth Field. Varsity had its first tournament starting on March 18, at Vianney. The regular season will conclude on May 9, with a game against Rockwood Summit at Home. The Varsity team currently has a record of 3-2, with wins over Lindbergh, Lafayette and Mehlville. So far the team has lost to Oakville and Northwest (Cedar Hill). JV follows with a current record of 1-0 with a win over Sluh. The freshman team also has a record of 1-0 with a win over John Burroughs. “I think this team has a lot of potential to win our district and go far in the playoffs. It’s full of good guys and hard workers,” junior William Zareh said. “My favorite part about the team are the friends you make and how fun it is to play with them. I know this team’s goal is to win districts and get as far as we can in the playoffs,” sophomore Joe Callas said. Baseball tryouts were Feb. 28. “Just like last year, the weather was perfect. I am looking for-
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ward to playing and contributing to the team again,” sophomore Jackson Torbit said. “This team is like a family. While it is competitive, the guys make it fun, and I love being around this team,” Torbit said.
From WG Statesman...
Tara in 4th grade at Bristol
to WG School Board
As a former student and current parent, Tara is committed to our school district’s success.
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Vote for TARA SCHEER for the 1-year school board term on April 5th. TaraScheer.com Paid for by Vote Tara Scheer, Stacey Beatty, Treasurer
Sports | Early April 2022
Art Write Wrapped
Students, staff reflect on 3 day event Junior Editor Lydia Urice
Each speaker got a piece of artwork as a gift from students competing for Art All Write took place from Write. Senior Amelia DorsFeb. 28, through March 2, ey won Art Write. in Knights Auditorium and “I had done Art Write my the Black Box theater. It sophomore year and I was was originally scheduled just a sophomore, so I was to take place over two days like, ‘Oh dang it, I didn’t but due to scheduling iswin,’ but this was like, ‘Oh sues, it got extended to my gosh, I can’t believe I three. won,’” Dorsey said. The event was organized “Everyone else’s [art] by the Chelsea Center with was really good too. I wish help from the English and they had runners up, but drama departments. I’m just really glad that I “I think the 2022 All won and that he liked it,” Write went very well,” seDorsey said. “It turns out, nior and student intern for he [Sylvester Brown Jr.]’s the Chelsea Center Delaney friends with my uncle, and Gilbert said over email. I didn’t even realize that “Even though this year until I was researching him was different compared to and I saw that my uncle other All Writes with the was following him on Innumber of days and speakstagram. That was a crazy ers difference, I really coincidence.” do think it gave students The All Write speakers (mainly seniors and possiand audience connected. bly juniors) a sense of nor“The audience broke malcy,” Gilbert said. out into song to sing ‘This Drama teacher and one of Senior Amelia Dorsey, Art Write winner, collaged and painted a Little Light of Mine’ to All Write’s organizers Todd her [Treasure Shields Redportrait of Sylvester Brown Jr. Schaefer agreed All Write Art by Amelia Dorsey mond] because she regretwas a success. ted she didn’t have time to “The audiences were sing it to them, so they just great, and to tailor the event zi Award and students artists competing started singing it to her,” to the English and fine arts departments for Art Write. Speakers included former Willenborg said. seemed more appropriate, and the crowds students, current students, notable writers A lot happened behind the scenes too. were definitely more manageable,” Schae- and an improv band. “[A] funny moment was, we tried to fer said over email. “My top four [speakers] were Trea- reserve a couple of visitor spots for our Chelsea Center teacher Jennifer Willen- sure Shields Redmond, Sylvester Brown speakers to park in. One of our spots had borg agreed that the event went well. Jr. and Peat ‘Eyez’ Wollaeger, and James a lot of snow and ice built up in it so Del“I think it went remarkably well. I’ve Watford,” Gilbert said. aney Gilbert and I went out there with not been here in the past, but I know that Junior Luke Hedenberg won first place shovels to try and clean it up,” Willenborg All Write became this really amazing and for the Franzie, with senior Emily Goben said. long festival in past years, and we only as the runner up, and junior Nora Jennings “It was just a mountain of ice, so it had the time and the manpower to recreate as the second runner up. didn’t work. We were out there for about a portion of that, but we felt good about “I wasn’t really expecting it. I heard Joe 20 minutes sweating and trying to not bringing back an event that brought a lot [Harned]’s story, and I thought, ‘Wow, break our shovels while trying to get of joy to people,” Willenborg said. that’s really good. I bet he’s going to win,’ through the ice. Eventually, we were able All Write included 15 speakers, as well and then I did surprisingly,” Hedenberg to find a different spot because that wasn’t as student writers competing for the Fran- said. gonna work,” Willenborg said.
Early April 2022 | News
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Review
Charli XCX CRASHES charts with new album Editor-in-Chief Jackson Parks
of XCX like A.G. Cook and George Daniel showcase her to her best, yet diversify “CRASH” to her prior albums and mixtapes. “Yuck” is a fun pop track that cringes at the suffocation of a relationship with a loud chorus, which encompasses the back half Twitter’s favorite British pop star Charli XCX has returned of the album perfectly. with her fifth studio al“CRASH” is so great bum “CRASH.” In true in the way that it’s difXCX-fashion, the album ferent from anything leaked on Twitter weeks that Aitchison has reprior, but its official released before. It’s not lease date was March 18. as stereotypical or comLeaks aside, “CRASH” mercial-sounding as her is Charli XCX’s first 2014 album “Sucker” number one album, hitor as hyper-pop-ccentric ting the mark in Australia quarantine album “How and the United Kingdom, I’m Feeling Now.” It’s where most of her fanunique not just in her base is. own discography but in Charlotte Aitchison aka the way it jumbles dance Charli XCX takes a step and hyper-pop with artisaway from her hyper-pop tic influence from those roots and wheel house like Janet Jackson and and into a full 1980s-inKylie Minogue. spired and Janet JacksonIt’s not just an emesque era. Aitchison’s brace of vintage and attempt at an 80s album modern pop but also and moment (something of what Aitchison does which is very overdone best. It feels almost as these days) totally pays Photo from Atlantic Records if “CRASH’s” predecesoff and is done in her own Charli XCX poses on the cover of her fifth studio album “CRASH.” sors were just a build-up style. It’s almost an atto its release, with her tempt at dance-pop, in Aitchison’s perfectly twisted way though. fifth studio album being her strongest. It’s strong in not just its “CRASH” is filled with synth, great collaborations, random cohesion, production or that the album can quite literally be on plucky notes on tracks like “Lightning,” and of course its fair “constant repeat,” but strong in its embracement of all things share of hyper-pop flair -- something that the pop singer made XCX does best. popular and mainstream. Charli XCX’s “CRASH” is available to stream now. Just by the stunning but macabre cover art alone, the visuals for “CRASH” are some of her best. The fake blood, grainy and overlit photoshoots, VHS-style footage of convertibles speeding down a California highway: it’s just all so fitting. The glamourized gore of this XCX album seems to have its meaning, reflecting on Aitchison’s ongoing battle and feud with her record label, Atlantic Records. “CRASH” is the last album of Aitchison’s five album contract, which she signed when she was just 14 years old. There’s so many standout tracks on “CRASH.” The lead single “Good Ones” is the perfect kickoff to the album and era. “I always let the good ones go,” XCX sings on the chorus to the track. It’s so fitting as a reflection of the release of this song and album. She let the good ones (her songs) go by releasing such a great album. Another standout of the album is “Constant Repeat,” a repetitive and overly poppy track which XCX reflects on the end of a past relationship. The intense synth and over repetition of the song highlight the production of the album. Frequent producers
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Entertainment | Early April 2022
Head football coach position open once again Editor-in-Chief Jackson Parks Assistant activities director turned head football coach Munir Prince has officially resigned from his positions at WGHS. Prince accepted a new position as an assistant football coach for Eastern Michigan University. His resignation came with short notice to the community, as his last day was Friday, March 4 -- just one day after Prince announced his resignation via email. This is only Prince’s second year at WGHS. Prince’s resignation might come as a surprise to some, as he was named interim head football coach for this school year’s Turkey Day game. He was then named the official head coach for the following school year, as a result of Matt Buha’s resignation from the position. In an interview with the Webster-Kirkwood Times about his then new and planned position as head coach, Prince said, “I’m humbled and honored to be the next head coach for Webster Groves High School,” he said. “The game of football has the ability to not only teach life lessons, but bring together entire communities.” In an email sent to WGHS staff, Prince said, “As some of you may already know, I have accepted a position to be an assistant football coach at Eastern Michigan University. While I am excited about the opportunity, I am extremely sad to leave my students and coworkers.” Prince mentioned the impact that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had on his two years at WGHS.
Early April 2022 | Sports
“These past few years have been tough on a lot of fronts, especially our battles with COVID-19, but I couldn’t have picked a better group of people to battle with. Your care for students and looking out for one another is the winning recipe for team success, and it’s been a pleasure working with you,” Prince said via an email to staff. Activities director Jerry Collins is disappointed for WGHS but happy for Prince and his new position. “I’m bummed, because he was doing an awesome job. He really built a lot of momentum with excitement in the program and kids getting in the weight room for the off season. At the same time, I’m super excited for him because that’s an opportunity that doesn’t come along very often,” Collins said. “We got lucky for him to come to us from a college position. I think he liked it here and was happy to stay here, but he had that opportunity to get back in the college ranks. I think that’s where he was wanting to be long term. Disappointed for us, but happy for him,” Collins said. Administration is currently seeking a replacement for Prince’s position. However, the head football coach position will not come internally as in the situation where Prince took Buha’s position initially. “We’ve already posted the head football coach position. That is already going. We’re already receiving applications, and we’re going to start meeting with candidates as early as next week,” Collins said. “Hopefully not long after spring break, we’ll be able to make a decision on that part. The assistant activities director will also be posted, and we will take applicants for that as well.”
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Tennis team supports community
Photo by Maren DeMargel
Seniors Calen Wallis and Ryan Austin hug during the Spring Sports Assembly on March 17.
Sports Editor Owen Crews People have enjoyed playing sports for not only the competition, but for the sense of camaraderie that being a part of a team is all about. Junior Dimion Butcher had a specific memory last year about the togetherness of the team. “My teammate and I were playing a doubles game and went into overtime. The whole tennis team finished their games except for ours, so they were cheering us on and making me feel
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like we were the champions of the court. This team is very supportive and filled with great people,” Butcher said via email. Senior Calen Wallis also has great memories from previous years. “(My) Favorite memory of tennis was going to Districts last year and getting third in doubles with my partner Reade Snelling,” Wallis said via email. “For being a predominately individual sport we still find a way to support and help each other. This years team is closer than any other I have been on,” Wallis said via email agreeing with Butcher. Junior Sebastian Macaire also got into the tennis spirit, “I went into tennis tryouts unsure if I would actually play for the team, but in the end I chose to join because I’ve enjoyed playing these first few weeks,” Macaire said via email. Wallis and Butcher also stress the importance of taking care of new players. Wallis said via email, “For being a predominately individual sport we still find a way to support and help each other. This years team is closer than any other I have been on” Butcher said via email, “Yes there are new people to the team, and a lot of them are already doing very well, and I can see people being very assets to the team in the near future.” Wallis also wanted to leave the younger players with some advice. “My advice for underclass men when Verstraete retires after next year is to keep an open mind with the next coach,” Wallis said via email.
Feature | Early April 2021
